Déjà Vu

Meira says . . . .

Things on the political front are looking ominously familiar. The inmates of the White House continually refer to Iran’s uranium enrichment program as their “Clandestine development of nuclear weapons.” This despite the UN analysis that given its current tools Iran is twelve years away from producing weapons quality material. Added to that is the suspicion that the enriched material they have is not of their own making, but is older stuff, possibly from China. Well if you think facts like those will deter the Bush Bandits, BBs, you have not been watching the news since the year 2000. Remember the other UN analysis, the one headed up by Hans Blix that told the world Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction?

A closer look reveals that the parallel goes much deeper. Afghanistan was the precursor to the invasion of Iraq and proved to be a heaven sent opportunity to test the latest strategic bombs and the most effective way to deliver them before moving on to the primary objective. In passing it’s worth noting that the Afghans are still reeling from the resulting onslaught. News articles continue to pop up here and there about the radiation victims in the HIndu Kush – not headline stuff, just the odd item buried in BBC and WHO routine reports but enough to tell the reader where evil really lies.

Substitute Lebanon for Afghanistan, and Hezbollah for the Taliban and the pattern emerges. The Israelis have done the softening and testing this time – the least they could do for an already stretched US military machine – and the UN have drawn a line in the sand for the evil Iranians. No prizes for guessing what comes next. No, not year upon endless year of ineffective sanctions upon Iran; not with India and China just screaming for their oil. The BBs are not patient people and time is not on their side. These are action folks who favour the reptilian response, so place your bets on a pre-emptive strike; a surgical removal of the offending organ. Only it will not be surgical, it will be a bludgeoning swipe that will fail as miserably as the last.

When did repetitive behaviour ever bring a differing result?

There is only now . . .

Meira says . . .

Zen Masters throughout the world agree that “There is only now,” yet the uninformed are motivated to the point of war by religious and political leaders everywhere on the premise that history is everything. The long running saga of Ireland and its relations with Britain, the new Britain, have become quiet of late which at first glance would appear a mystery. Despite arguments that are frequently referred back to William of Orange, or earlier, recent news of sectarian killings and car bombings is suspiciously thin on the ground. Could it be that Irish leaders and populace alike are too busy enjoying a booming economy to worry whose banner is flown highest? Because if that is the case, if all that is needed to stop the children squabbling and pulling each other’s hair is some shiny new toys with which to play, then they should be given before hostilities break out.

Mothers have long known that a child can be controlled by punishment both corporal and mental, but if you want to retain the spirit and seek a return for your investments, love is a better way to go. Whether it is a pet, a child, or another adult behaviour can be modified without the use of force or sanctions by making the desired behaviour the most attractive. Talk of intervention forces, of UN sanctions, and of buffer zones may sound like sound advice, but it is only rhetoric, and a poor comfort for those with nothing. Shiny new water services, electricity generating stations, medical supplies, transport networks and food, food, food, food, would serve much better. Israel can lay claim to a successful outcome of their military hard line policies in the past, but “There is only now.”

When Palestine becomes a more attractive place to live than Israel there will be no incursions.